Our Lady of Angels
by Nimara
Summary: ShizNat AU "Sister, I think you're about to sin." Heat brushed the back of her ear and down her neck. She swallowed and leaned back. "Then...may God forgive me for my sinful ways."
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Sunrise or any of its creations.

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**Our Lady of Angels**

**Chapter 1**

Nimara

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"Hail Mary, full of grace, The Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

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Shizuru walked to the front of the Church with a bronze pail in hand. The early morning mist had gone and the skies had cleared for the first time in days. The white stone Church took on a lively feel as it bathed in the full sun. The flowers that lined the gravel pathway up to the Church slowly began to open their buds to dry off in the warm rays. On the Church's wall, next to the elaborate wooden double doors was an angel stoup. Every morning a Sister of the Church filled the stone angel's basin with holy water so pious visitors could bless themselves before entering the Church. Shizuru hoisted her pail up and began to slowly fill the basin. Her ears listened to the warble of the songbirds but at the same time picked up the stern voice of her Mother Superior. A low feminine chuckle tickled her ear and she found it to be more beautiful sounding than the songbirds.

Intrigued by the sound, she glanced over her shoulder to see the Church's Mother Superior Maria Graceburt walk down the rain soaked gravel towards her. Walking alongside the graceful abbess was the most captivating woman Shizuru had ever seen. Dressed in a fitting tan and black pantsuit, the woman walked briskly besides the older woman. Midnight blue tresses, richer in color than the nearby hydrangeas, were gathered loosely at the nape of the woman's neck. A kind smile never left her face and the woman leaned in so very slightly to Mother Maria in a show of attentiveness. Her eyes were hidden behind sporty sunglasses. Shizuru's breath caught in her throat and her hand almost slipped from the pail as a soft voice cut through her thoughts.

"Sister Shizuru, you're about to overflow the stoup."

Dressed in a full habit, Sister Yukariko placed her hands over Shizuru's and tilted the pail up to prevent it from pouring any more. A jolt of embarrassment struck Shizuru as Mother Maria drew closer to them and held out her hand to inquire.

"Is something the matter, Sisters?"

Yukariko was quicker to reply, "Sister Shizuru was just distracted for a mere moment as she was filling the stoup. The beautiful weather probably caught her full attention."

Mother Maria looked stoically over Shizuru and nodded. Her face flushed as she looked over at the guest who was now within arm's reach. A ghost of a smirk tugged at the guest's rosy lips. Shizuru could only imagine how beautiful her eyes must be to go with such a flawless visage. Mother Maria held her arms open to gesture towards the Church.

"And this, Kruger-san, is Our Lady of Angels Church. We've been serving God, the faithful, and the faithless alike for over eight decades. I am sure I do not need to tell you how much we value our beliefs, propriety, modest."

"You have my word that I will do everything in my will to keep to the standards you have set for your Church," the guest replied with a tone of extravagant sincerity.

Thin-lipped, Mother Maria nodded towards Shizuru and Yukariko. "Very well. Before you is Sister Sanada and Sister Viola. They will help you become accommodated to the Church during your stay."

Both of the young Sisters had looks of confusion on their faces as they bowed to their guest. No mention of an extended visit by a guest had been made prior to that morning. Shizuru swallowed her gasp as the suited woman bowed and removed her glasses with a smile. Deep sea green eyes sparkled with delight as she introduced herself.

"My name is Natsuki Kruger. Good day, Sisters."

There was something fierce and untamed about the woman in front of Shizuru. She was unlike any other guests that she had seen come to Our Lady of Angels. Despite her kind smiles and flowery and formal statements, there was something not quite as pure reflected in her eyes. Shizuru knew Natsuki Kruger was not the type of person to belong at their Church even behind the display of careful formalities.

"Good day, Kruger-san," Shizuru replied and took a step back. The mere presence of the woman overwhelmed her. Under the watchful eye of Mother Superior she remained calm and unperturbed though. Natsuki Kruger's eyes were not as sincere as her words as they looked intensely at Shizuru. Each moment her gaze was kept on her was a moment too long for Shizuru. As if to mock Shizuru's silent first impression, Natsuki Kruger stepped towards the stoup and dipped two fingers into the holy water. Closing her eyes she crossed herself before the Church. Shizuru watched in open curiosity as the woman muttered a well known prayer beneath her breath. She quickly dropped her vision when a sea green eye opened slightly and peered over at her roguishly.

Mother Maria was pleased with Natsuki Kruger's auctions and folded her hands in front of her. "I thank God for promptly sending us such a faithful young individual."

"Such is God's will, Mother," Natsuki said as she stood up straight and smiled. Crimson and sea green pierced each other again for a moment. Shizuru, who was once enthralled by the woman, now found herself wanting to flee from her sight. Her wits were lost about her. In such a few short moments, the blunette had managed to invade Shizuru's defenses and knock them down. Never had she felt so uncomfortable or insecure her entire life. Shizuru wondered what this daring game was that she had begun to play. It was a game where the stranger knew the rules and objective while Shizuru played blindly. She bit back the urge to reach for the holy water to try and purify her complicated thoughts.

"Come, Kruger-san. I will show you the rest of the compound as the Sisters finish their chores."

Natsuki nodded and, to Shizuru's relief, turned her back to her without a second glance. As she watched the guest's lean back retreat into the Church, Shizuru felt a cold shudder run through her body. Yukariko turned to her with motherly concern etched on her face.

"Sister Shizuru, are you not well? Perhaps you have caught an illness with the fluctuating weather."

Shizuru shook her head, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'll be fine. Thank you for your concern."

Yukariko's soft hand reached up and touched Shizuru's forehead but quickly pulled away. "You're burning up! Really, Sister, you should go see the medic and get some rest."

Shizuru knew no amount of medicine could cure her of the sickness that had come upon her. That devilish woman had unleashed something within her that no medic could treat.

"Pray for me, Sister, for I may be gravely ill," she muttered sarcastically and turned to enter the Church.

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**A/N:** I've been dreadfully busy but I managed to squeeze this out. It's the introduction for Our Lady of Angels. All the chapters will be relatively short but because they are so, they will be out faster than usual. For those of you who are wondering what happened to my other stories I want to reassure you that I have not abdonned them. They are not hiatus either. It's just been slow going with work and summer semester. Chapters for TWOY and TGG are both almost finished so it should not be too much longer if you're waiting on them.

I won't give anything away for this story as of yet. I hope you enjoyed the opening and would love to hear your scandalous predictions. Big hugs to be BETA who I skipped over once again in excitement. I'm expecting an angry message from her xD.

Till next time,

-Nimara


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Sunrise or any of its creations.

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**Our Lady of Angels**

**Chapter 2**

Nimara

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The young Sister did not see much of the green-eyed woman until dinner late in the evening. Though she only caught glimpses of her, Natsuki's presence was heavy in the Church. Shizuru could not remember more than fifteen minutes go by without overhearing another nun talk about her. How young and lively the stranger looked, how well put together her words were, or what a pure smile she had. She was only grateful that the nuns were kept busy with chores the entire day otherwise they would have stalked their new guest through the halls. After several days of heavy rains, there was much to look after on the sanctuary grounds. Mother Superior always took rains of three or more days as a signal from God to clean and renew everything around them. Shizuru felt that Mother Maria just used that as an excuse to drive some hard work into the nuns who had sat around choreless for three days.

At supper Natsuki Kruger was still the most interesting talk of Our Lady of Angels Church. Mother Maria formally introduced her at the head of the table to the curious women. Shizuru's suspicions were confirmed as Mother Superior told them she was to be Sister Lucille's temporary replacement. Sister Lucille was one of the oldest nuns at the Church before she took ill with chronic pains. For the best of her health, she was sent back to the home of her son for treatment and rest. No one was sure how long the old nun would take to recover if she ever did. Sister Lucille was more than just a servicing nun at the Church but also a teacher at the all girl's Private School of Our Lady of Angels. The school was a building south of the Church where a group of over three hundred students attended. There was not much of a need to replace the duties that Sister Lucille had as a nun but as a teacher she would be sorely missed. So to fill in the vacant position, Natsuki Kruger was now going to teach third years at the school.

The whole time at the dinner table, Shizuru critically analyzed Natsuki. The woman had immersed herself in friendly chatter with the older nuns, paying no attention to Shizuru. She asked them about the etiquette that was common for them and bid them to forgive her for her lack of knowledge. In her words, Natsuki wanted to be as exemplary a role model as Sister Lucille was. Within one meal she had the entire congregation, that beady old cook, the dog, and the Church mouse charmed. Shizuru was sure that the older woman saw the roughness that Natsuki held but their better judgment seemed to have been overtaken by her eloquent words and almost childlike soft curiosity for knowledge. Shizuru was the only one who had refused to be charmed any further than she already was. For as much as she was intrigued and moved by the substitute teacher, she found herself getting upset. There was a master liar running freely through the house of God. Natsuki Kruger had pulled a cloak over every person's eyes to hide who she truly was.

So just who was Natsuki Kruger? Shizuru had yet to discover that but the individual laughing politely at the dinner table was not the God-fearing, all-innocent woman that she had led everyone to believe. Shizuru just knew it.

"...can always place her in Sister Viola's quarters."

Shizuru jerked her head up and looked down the table to where her name was mentioned. She hastily swallowed the chunk of chicken she had been chewing. All eyes seemed to be on her now.

"Excuse me, Sister Esther?"

The old Sister sitting near Natsuki Kruger nodded her head and motioned towards Mother Superior. "Mother Superior said that Sister Lucille's old room is in the process of becoming a much needed addition to our sickbay. I believe your room is one of the rooms that could easily occupy two people."

Shizuru tried to wipe the look of uncertain surprise from her face as she looked further down at Natsuki Kruger. The woman, now wearing a modest maroon sweater and black slacks, held her enthusiastic smile. Her deep sea green eyes though, flashed of deviltry once again. Shizuru forced a soft smile on her face to prevent her from narrowing her eyes at the substitute teacher.

A voice, low and rough, was directed at her. "It would be an honor to share the room of such a highly esteemed Sister of the Church. It has been a while since I've gotten to spend time with a woman my age, if you know what I mean ladies."

The table laughed and the older nuns reminiscence of the days they were young. They remembered the times that they would stay up late with their girl friends and talk about all sorts of nonsense through the night.

"Right, right, you and Sister Viola are close in age!"

"Yes, I'm sure Sister Viola would enjoy someone closer to her age for once instead of the company of old pruning women like us."

Shizuru looked over at Mother Superior for any sign of guidance yet found nothing but a stone faced woman partaking in her meal. Her smile began to twitch when Natsuki spoke again, "That is, if you do not mind my company, Sister Viola."

"Not at all, Kruger-san. I'm sure we can find many godly things to do. I could show you my favorite scriptures. I have also started to reread the Book of Deuteronomy and would enjoy your company in doing so."

The nuns laughed together again thinking Shizuru had just meant her statement as a joke. In all actuality Shizuru was very serious. Already she had made it up in her mind not to give Natsuki Kruger a bit of slack. Shizuru Viola would not be toyed with. If this was Natsuki Kruger's idea of a game, then Shizuru wanted to let her know that the rules had been changed. Shizuru figured Natsuki was the type of woman that given an inch, would take a mile. Natsuki's smile faltered, picking up in Shizuru's tone and the serious glint in her eye. Shizuru took it as her first victory and completely missed the small smile that passed Mother Maria's lips.

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The fuss over the beautiful Natsuki Kruger settled as the church's usual time of evening meditation and prayer came. Most nuns took their evening time of silence in the sanctity of their rooms and Shizuru would have done the same if she knew she would not bump into her new roommate. She had to collect herself before she met the woman face to face. It was as if she was about to face an enemy of God. Perhaps not as dramatic and dangerous as that but it was better to be prepared. Shizuru retreated to the humble library on the east side of the Church.

There she sat on the tattered plaid couch and drew out her silver rosary. Taking in the calming smell of cherry wood and books, she began her prayers. One by one the beads passed rhythmically between her fingers. She reached the thirtieth bead and stopped. Natsuki Kruger had invaded her mind. It was those piercing green eyes that flashed in Shizuru's mind, cutting her prayer off. Annoyed, she grasped more tightly onto the rosary and began to mutter her prayers aloud. It was a practice young children used to keep their concentration while praying for long periods of time. Much to her dismay, she did not reach the sixtieth bead before she faltered once again. Frustration rose inside her and she adjusted her seat on the couch and spoke her prayers loudly. If anyone were to hear her they would think she was only vocalizing her passion and love for the Lord.

She gathered every ounce of will to keep her concentration on her prayers. Slowly her throat began tickle with dryness but she pushed on, determined to get through at least a half hour of prayer. It was unnerving to her that she be this scattered. After years of being with the Church she had never encountered anything that could break her concentration like this. If anything, troubled times had Shizuru connect more easily to her faith.

Just as Shizuru dropped the rosary into her lap, signaling she was done for the night, the squeaky door of the library opened. Shizuru blanched as she saw Natsuki Kruger peer in with a surprised look.

She walked in and Shizuru stood, not hiding the look of anger from her face.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't know anyone was in here." The substitute teacher grinned sheepishly. Shizuru's frown deepened. She knew she had prayed so loudly that probably the entire east wing of the church had heard her or, at very least, the hall outside the library.

"Do you need something, Kruger-san?" She replied curtly, placing her rosary around her neck.

Her attitude seemed to have caught Natsuki Kruger off guard and the woman straightened. "No. I mean, yes. Mother Superior said I could retrieve a Bible from the library since I left mine behind."

Another lie. Shizuru knew that Mother Superior had a stock of Bibles in her office since they only kept old Bibles in the library. What did this woman want? Natsuki Kruger, with a toothy grin ran her hand through her hair in an almost nervous fashion. It was a different side of the substitute teacher than the cool and suave woman she had seen throughout the day. Shizuru smoothed out her black robes and went to the old washed out shelves that lined the walls. For a library, the book collection was a disgrace. There was a handful of old valuable pieces that had never been appraised but the majority of the small collection was made up of tattered classics. Each book had been read hundreds of times and it showed on their delicate bindings and yellowed pages.

Shizuru found three old Bibles and took out the sturdiest looking one. The black hardcover had turned gray and the gold ribbon marker was horribly frayed. She handed it over to Natsuki Kruger who took it with care, probably concerned it would turn to dust in her hands.

"Thank you. Were you finishing up your prayers?" Again that smooth smile appeared.

Shizuru fought back the urge to turn up her nose and instead gave a forceful smile. "Yes. Is there anything else you need, Kruger-san?"

"Well if you're done I would love to go back to the room with you. I heard they have put in my bed already and a second desk that joins yours."

Damn. Shizuru nodded reminding herself to be polite. Do not judge, she reminded herself. There was a good side to everyone. Shizuru cringed inwardly trying to think of anything redeeming about this woman who seemed to radiate deceit and sin. She followed Natsuki out and to her room on the other side of the Church surprised that the woman had successfully navigated her way through the twisted floor plan.

Just as she said, everything was in place. Her bed had been rearranged along with her drawer and other belongings. As she stepped off the wood of the halls and onto the carpet of her room, she felt a sinking feeling. The room could fit two people and their furniture but just barely. Shizuru was not a claustrophobic individual but the idea of living this close in proximity to their guest made her sweat. Natsuki walked in behind her showing signs that it was the first time she had seen the room.

"A little bit of a squeeze. It reminds me of my dorm in college. It was about this size too and we sometimes had three girls to a room like this," she chuckled. Shizuru smiled uneasily and took off her rosary to place it on the more cluttered of the two desks. The desks were at the far end of the square room facing the small curtained windows. Her bed had been pushed to the left wall and Natsuki Kruger's to the right. No more than ten feet separated the sides of their beds.

"I hope you will find everything to your liking, Kruger-san. Is there anything you think you may be needing?" She spoke trying to adjust to the rising tension in herself.

"Nope. I think everything seems to be in order. Your room is a bit different than the other nuns. Well even your habit is different. If I may ask, why?" Shizuru heard the door close firmly behind them and the lock click firmly in place. Shizuru never locked her door.

Shizuru undid the top button of her collar and sat on her bed and watched as Natsuki opened the luggage on her bed. "I'm not a professed nun nor am I in postulancy or noviate."

She craned her neck to see what Natsuki Kruger had packed in her two practically bursting suitcases. She was amused to see how untidy everything was. All the clothing was half folded and items were just thrown carelessly in. Natsuki looked over her shoulder back at Shizuru but Shizuru avoided her gaze.

"Professed nun? Postulancy? Noviate? Forgive me for my lack of knowledge."

"Forgiven," Shizuru said with a hint of dryness. "A professed nun is a nun who has taken all her vows and belongs fully with God and the Church. Mother Superior and the rest of the nuns except Sister Sanada are professed nuns."

"Sister Sanada is…the nice older woman right? Much younger than the other women though."

Natsuki refolded her clothing in a messy fashion and began to place them in her drawer adjacent to her desk.

"She is a nun that is in noviate. It is a time for a woman to live like a nun before professing herself to the Church. It is also a time where Mother Superior looks upon her critically and sees if she will do the Church well. Sister Sanada is a very devout woman, perhaps even more devout than many of the older sisters."

Shizuru followed Natsuki Kruger's movements around the room not noticing how she ran her eyes over every aspect of her body.

"Postancy?" Natsuki Kruger muffled as she hung more professional looking clothing on the rack near the door.

"Postulancy. It's before taking the noviate. A trial period for a would-be nun. Those in postulancy and in noviate wear garbs just like Sister Sanada. She has a simple headdress with a short straight veil unlike the other sisters with large veils than cover their shoulders and neck. Her habit is like mine, simpler and lighter."

"And you don't wear a headdress because you are not…a nun?" Natsuki Kruger turned around and looked at Shizuru curiously. "If you're not in this postulancy or in this nov-iate…you aren't a nun then, right? Oh, do you mind if I change?"

Shizuru saw Natsuki's hands wander down to the bottom of her maroon sweater and wait for permission. Shizuru fought a flush back and looked away.

"Go right ahead, the room is yours…," Shizuru was relieved to see that the woman had some sense of decency to turn around as she moved to change out of her clothing. "I am not a nun but a ward of the Church. I still take my devotions seriously and I live and work here. I am considered a Sister and must wear the habit. I do not wear a headdress though and I am allowed to keep my hair long. As you can see, I may have a few more belongings than other sisters. Since I have not taken any vows, I may have earthly possessions and indulge in behaviors that any civilian would."

"I see." Natsuki pulled the sweater over her head and Shizuru watched as the lean muscles in her back and shoulders moved. Her skin was flawless and the arch of her back was perfect. She licked her dry lips and felt her heart skip. She heard the zipper of her slacks and Shizuru realized she had been watching her undress. She turned her body completely, the bed groaning underneath her, before Natsuki dropped her pants.

"I'm going to change," Shizuru breathed out and stood. Hastily she turned away from Natsuki and undid the buttons on her habit. If they both dressed at the same time it would be less awkward. Shizuru let the habit drop from her body and went to her drawer to pull out a nightgown. Just as she was about to put it over her head a soft touch met her backside. A strangled gasp ripped from Shizuru's throat.

"Wow...you have amazing skin, Sister." Shizuru spun around with small glare forming and her nightgown clutched against her chest. Natsuki turned around this time, a blush forming. Nervously she chuckled, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's fine…" Shizuru said trying to compose herself. She drew her nightgown over her body and placed her habit on her chair while Natsuki turned around again. She wore a simple tank top and cotton pants that hugged every toned curve of her body. For a moment they only looked at each other but their eyes did not meet until a minute later.

Shizuru sucked in her breath at the intensity in Natsuki Kruger's eyes. Natsuki Kruger opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. Something hot coursed through her body and she went to turn off the lamp near her desk. Keeping her voice steady she pulled back the covers on her bed, "I'm going to bed now. The light doesn't bother me if you need to stay up longer."

She crawled into bed, facing the wall and pulled the covers up to her shoulders despite how uncomfortably hot she felt.

"Good night, Shizuru," the woman said in her deep soft voice.

Shizuru could barely bring herself to reply, "Good night."

One. Long. Night.

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A/N:

Alrighty! :3 See I'm picking up pace here! Except more juicy updates soon too! Like I stated before, OLOA's chapters will be shorter, more focused on interactions between Shizuru and Natsuki. They will be a little more heated but still with a decent amount of emotion and some drama. Ya know, a nice fantasy-fan-servicy fanfic! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews last time. Please let me know how you thought of this warm up chapter! ;D Oh and feel free to send any requests for where you would like to see them have...hot sex.

Till next time,

Nimara

Sneak peak:

"Sister, I have a confession…"

"I am not someone who deals with confessions."

"Are you not a woman of God? You're the only one I trust to speak of my…sins."

"Let the Lord and me hear your soul then, Kruger-san."

"I'm been having these thoughts…"

…

"Thoughts of what, Kruger-san?"

"Thoughts of-…" (Darling BETA Graceful Amethyst:… of bending you over and smexing you so gewd, you'll really cry out to the skies?~ :D Ohdearlord~)


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